Loose-leaf binder.



H. C. MILLER.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLlcATIoN FILED FEB.12,1'9|8.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

.iirl 2.,..

Il analizan H; C. MILLER.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2. 191s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HENRY C. MILLER, F 'MILWAKEE WISCONSIN.

'LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Speccation of Ietters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

Application filed February 12, 1918. Serial No. 216,758.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented' certain new and useful Improvements in Loose- Leaf Binders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention consists in improvements in loose Aleaf binders, the particular object being to provide an arrangement whereby the feed screw for shortening the distance between the binder heads may be held against movement in one direction under normal l conditions.

It has been found advisable to provide the better type of loose leaf binders with av quick ,feed or steep pitch screw-shaft whereby'the l proved means for quickly and easily connecting or disconnecting one end of the binder posts and one of the binder heads.

With these general objects and advantages in view the invention resides more particularly in the novel combination, formation and arrangement of parts whichl will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the upper and lower binder heads of a loose leaf binder constructed in accordance with my invention.

' Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the lower binder head.

Fig. 3 is a detail transverse section through the lower binder head and taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an inner elevational view, partly in section, of a loose leaf binder having a telescoping back, my invention being applied to the means for extending and distending the back. v

The drawings in mostl of the views illuscarried out by reducing with the teeth of the same.

trate structure of usual design such as is shown in 1n United States Patent Nos. 1,184,979 and 1,236,466, but this construction has been improved upon by the addition of new elements which, although comparatively simple,

are very important and addVJ greatly to the efficiency ofthe binder.L This usual mechanism consists of upper and lower binder heads 1 and 2 respectively, flexible extensible binder posts 3 and means for shortening these posts, such means being located within the casing forming the lower binder head 2.

The last mentioned means includes a quick feed or steep pitched screw shaft 4 which extends substantially throughout the length of the binder head 2 and is journaled in bearings 5 carried thereby, and a pair of nuts 6 is disposed on the shaft to be shifted toward and away from each other upon rotation of the latter. The threads of the screw shaft are obviously right and left hand to permit this relative movement between the two nuts. The ends of the binder posts 3' which extend into the binder head 2 are connected to the nuts 6 as shown.

The foregoing elements form no part of the present invention except in so far as they combine with the parts to be hereinafter described to produce an operative structure. One of the features of my invention relates to the means for preventing accidental rotation ofthe shaft. 4 in such a direction as to permit the binder head 1 to move away from.the head 2. This is one end of the shaft 4 which extends beyond one of the bearings 5 to form a polygonal stud 7, disposing a toothed or ratchet wheel 8 thereon and providing one or more pawls 9 for Co-action The wheel is held against rotation on the stud owing to the co-acting relationship between the faces of the latter and the walls of the opening through the former. The portion of said4 stud which projects beyond the wheel is adapted to be engaged by the socketed end of a key or handle 10 which is projectable through an opening 11 in one end of the binder head 2.

The pawls 9 are pivoted at one end as at 9 so that their free ends extend outwardly and are disposed adjacent the outer end of the stud 7. The` outer ends of the pawls are provided with cam faces 12 which are engaged by the inner end of the key 10 as the yau vwithout the insertion same is forced on to the stud 7' as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Such engagement between the faces, 12 and the key moves the pawls away from the ratchet teeth and permits ready rotation of the shaft 4.

Upon removal of the key or handle 10 the pawls are forced against! the yratchet by means of the springs 13. These springs are preferably V-shaped as shown in Fig. 2,'the arms of the same engaging thepawls and the adjacent wall of the binder head. To retain the springs in proper vposition the free ends of their arms are bent laterally as at 14 and disposed in 'sockets formed respec' tively in said pawls and wall of the head 2.

In Fig. 4y the stud 7, the `wheel 8, the pawls 9 and the springs 13 are associated with a feed serewshaft 4 which together with links 3 and nuts 6- form operating means for extending or distending thesections A and B of a telescopic back C of a different form of loose leaf/binder from that illustrated vin the other figures. The pawls 9 are released from the ratchet teeth in the same manner as with the mechanism shown in Figs. 1, .2 and 3.,

IFrom the foregoing description it will be seen that the4 operation of this feature of my invention is comparatively simple, it being only necessary, when a ratchet wheel 8 `is used, to insert the key 10 to release the pawls 9. l Such, release will allow the binder heads to be manually pulled apart, or mechanically moved away from each other by rotation of the keyvin the proper direction, to release the'loose `leaves of the binder. The binder heads may be readily forced toward eachother by pressing on the uppermost one as the pawls will ride over the` ratchet teeth when the shaft is rota-ted in yone direction. It is evident that an ordinary toothed wheel might be substituted for the ratchet Wheel 8 to prevent rotation of the shaft 4 in either-direction `when the pawls 9 are engaged with the teeth of such wheel.

Another feature of my invention is particularly illustrated in Fig. l, this part re` latingto means forquickly and easily connecting the ends of the binder posts 3 with the upper binder head 1. -This head is hollow, it being preferably formed of sheet metal, and is provided adjacent each end with a pair of openings 15 and 16, said openings being formed in the upper and lower walls respectively and alined. The holes 15 in the upper wall are sufficiently large to permit a head piece 17 detachably connected with the ends-of the binder posts to pass therethrough, while the lower are assembled the head ,pieces'will be posivof the key inasmuch` openings 16 are of sufficient size to receive thev serted through the openings 15, whereupon.

the head pieces are again attached thereto.

The h'ad pieces 17 are retained within the bi'n'der head by means of a plate 18 which slides over the openings 15. This plate extends substantially throughout the length of the binder head and is only slightly shorter than the same to permit the necessary longitudinal movement, which movement is accomplished by shifting a finger piece 19 longitudinally of a slot 20 formed in the upper wall of thel bind'er head. This linger piece is detachably connected with the intermediate portions of the plate 18 as illustrated.

When the plate 18 is not in locking position openings 21 adjacent the opposite ends thereof are alined with the openings 15 to allow the head pieces 17 to readily pass into A the binder head. The plate is retained in either of its two positions by the frictional wall ofthe binder head. Said spring fingers are struck from the -plate 18 as shown.

With the two improvements hereinbefore enumerated and particularly described added to the binder heads shown in the above mentioned patents, it is obvious that a loose lleaf binder of improved construction will result. Furthermore all the additions may be added without any 0r cost. g l I claim 1. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a screw shaft in said .casing, one end being reduced to form a polygonal stud, a nut on the shaft, a ratchet wheel disposed onthe polygonal stud to rotate with the shaft, a pawl pivoted within the casing to normally engage the teeth ofsaid ratchet teeth.

2. A, device of the class described including a hollow binder head having a pair of alined openings through, the opposite walls thereof, the opening in one wall being larger than that of the other wall, a binder elemen-t disposed through the openings, an

venlarged head piece on the end of said element, said head piece being movable through the large openingand engageable with the with only a slight additional one side of the pawl, y

socket to receive the surface of the other wall Within the binder head, and means movable between 'the head piece and the large opening to retain the former within the binder head.

3. A .device of the class described including a hollow binder head having a pair of alined openings through the opposite walls thereof, the Aopening in one wall being larger than that in the other wall, a binder element disposed through the openings, an enlarged head piece'on the end of said element,'said head piece being movable through the large opening and engageable with the surface of the other wall within the binder head, and a plate movable over the large opening to close the same and retain the head piece within the binder head.

4. A device of the class described including a hollow binder. head having a pair of alined openings through the opposite walls thereof, the opening in one wall being larger than thatv in the other wall, a binder elementdisposed. through the openings, an enlarged head piece on the end of said element, said head piece being movable through the large opening and engageable with the surface of the other wall within the binder head, a plate slidable within the binder head to close the large opening and retain the head piece within the former, and a spring tongue struck from the plate to `frictionally engage one of the walls of the binder head.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin. y

HENRY C. MILLER. 

